Let's review. From the last time we fielded a team until this morning:

1. Shiny new football facility and practice fields. No more dentist's office and lumpy sandpits.

2. 8-4. Best record in the FBS era. You know we didn't field a team last year, right?

3. Leading the conference in attendance.

Other than 2014, which ended on such a grim note and shouldn't have, I'm having a hard time remembering being this excited about football at the end of November. So many years there was a shameful side of me glad it was over. Friends, we've sat through some of the most miserable football God saw fit to see played on the skin of this earth over the years.

I only got a little misty once yesterday. It was after the game, leaving through the north gate like I always have, running the gauntlet of happy players and their friends and families, and fellow fans. Laughing with Shaq Jones. It was when I thought of how sky high I was in that moment juxtaposed against how angry, and sad, and generally demoralized I'd been so many times making that same walk.

This whole season has been a real life fairy tale.

Anywho, on to the observations:

Pretty pedestrian game over a bad team, truth be told. We held UTEP to 2 of 11 on 3rd down. We've gotten so much better at this since the start of the season. Meanwhile we went 10 of 16. Move the chains. Win the game.

The Good

AJ Erdely He's not going to dazzle you with his numbers. He's just going to be ruthlessly efficient. 15/25 for 159 yards and 2 TDs. Took a couple of sacks he shouldn't have, or he'd have ended up with 200+ total yards. That TD to Lisa was a dart in a tight little window. Maybe his best throw of the season. Speaking of...

Colin Lisa 7 catches for 76 yards and a TD. Dude is pretty much good for a first down every throw and he catches everything. Kind of disappeared the last couple of weeks, so it was nice to see him have a good game.

Xavier Ubosi One catch for 26 yards, but it was a pretty catch and run. Anyone besides me like to see him get a lot more touches?

Broderick Thomas Big DB. Will step into the hole and hit you on a running play, and can cover. Speaking of...

Our whole secondary has become pretty damn good.

The Bad

Les, it's legal to throw on first down. That is all.

The Ugly

That damn DJ. Bled all over the fans, the band, AND Scudder. Dude was actively suppressing organic noise. Please. Somebody do something.

So, what does this mean, Barbara?

I've believed for a long time that we were a decent coach away from contending in this conference every year. Well, here we are. On a personal note, I want very badly to attend the bowl game. I am not a man of unlimited means, and I have happily spent money I could barely afford on this football team. I don't want sympathy. Just voicing a lament I doubt I'm alone on. Please, Coach. Is there an option that rewards the team AND gives fans a chance to get to and support them?

So, anyway. We're going bowling, and I've never been more optimistic about the future of UAB football. It hardly needs mentioning that the present is pretty damn groovy.

I think Erdley was still hurting from the Florida game. He ran some, but he was sliding a lot more than I've ever noticed him do before before. I think he got beat up pretty good last week, but he still tucked it in and ran when he needed to.

And Smaug, I'm sure that I'm not alone when I say how much I enjoy your $0.02. I suppose that was intensified by a couple of years of doing without and they're always more enjoyable after a win, but thank you, my Blazer Brother.

They're more fun to write when we win. I've got a standing rule that I only write these after games I've seen in person. It occurred to me yesterday that I'd been to every home game and one road game, and did not personally witness this team lose once. That was pretty damn awesome.

(11-26-2017 10:24 AM)the_blazerman Wrote: I thought Erdley was f-ed up pretty good after his TD run. They were talking to him on the sidelines & I guess he worked through it.

Hell, we started passing the ball more after he got hurt.

Yeah, I thought he was dropping his left shoulder and holding it (dislocated) on the way to the sideline and I was like "HOLY ****!". Luckily he's tough as nails and now has time to recover before his bowl game. I saw several guys doing knee stretches etc. between snaps yesterday. UAB's training staff are probably in high gear getting this team recovered. I haven't had one but I've heard that ice baths are really not fun at all.

We will find out about the bowl game when they are announced next Sunday. UAB will be paired against a team that is at least 6-6 so the team will have to raise their game a bit or more to win.

Wasn't it great to not be UTEP's only win of the season like we have provided to FAU and USM in past seasons? Does anyone believe it is only coincidence that we finish 8-4 in the first season we got competitive facilities including hole-free practice fields and REAL financial backing? "Throwing money at a problem" has worked well again. Perhaps the state can one day try it for K-12 education.

I'm looking forward to the day when UAB can legally charge a premium for the best seats in football like they do in basketball at Bartow Arena. Any one of the new stadium concepts will provide this opportunity which does not exist today at Legion Field.

Multiply 5,000+ prime location seats times $1,000 each and you get a sum that could help the UAB Ahletic Dept. bottom line, but such a charge is not legally possible today.

(11-26-2017 11:20 AM)the_blazerman Wrote: There already are premium charges for both. Dad paid extra for his seats in football this season. Those in the Frozen 100 have paid extra for the basketball seats.

While Alabama fans paid money for the gold seats years ago at Legion Field, they are basically worthless now unless Alabama plays in the Birmingham Bowl.

Those Stadium Certificates are LEGALLY valid for ANY football games played at Legion Field forever. As noted in a news article cited in another thread, no charge above a ticket's face value can be LEGALLY made for any seat covered by those certificates.

There are 2,000 seats in sec 10 & 11 in the west stand, 2,000 seats in the corresponding seats in the east stands and the 1,000+ "gold seats" LEGALLY covered by the Certificates IN PERPETUITY. Ignoring the law is something Alabamians have done whenever convenience provided the cover, but that does not make it legal.

(11-26-2017 11:20 AM)the_blazerman Wrote: There already are premium charges for both. Dad paid extra for his seats in football this season. Those in the Frozen 100 have paid extra for the basketball seats.

While Alabama fans paid money for the gold seats years ago at Legion Field, they are basically worthless now unless Alabama plays in the Birmingham Bowl.

Those Stadium Certificates are LEGALLY valid for ANY football games played at Legion Field forever. As noted in a news article cited in another thread, no charge above a ticket's face value can be LEGALLY made for any seat covered by those certificates.

There are 2,000 seats in sec 10 & 11 in the west stand, 2,000 seats in the corresponding seats in the east stands and the 1,000+ "gold seats" LEGALLY covered by the Certificates IN PERPETUITY. Ignoring the law is something Alabamians have done whenever convenience provided the cover, but that does not make it legal.

How does it feel to feel passion about something and realize that you are the only person in the world that has that passion.